Chapter 14

They both looked at each other with tear filled eyes, he gulped his tears while focusing on the announcement regarding the flight departure and arrival but two drops rolled down from her eyes falling on her cheeks. “Don't go.” she whispered. This was the last chance when she could stop him, he was just a few moments away from boarding the plane. “I love you, please don't go.” The whisper mingled with her sob. Time stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath while leaning towards her lips. “You should have told me this before. I love you too.” The very next moment they both savored the taste of their love and suddenly the air of the room became thick for Fayra. With a great amount of nervousness she looked away from the huge screen, with no intention to make herself more uncomfortable she looked at her right side, Danish was watching the kissing scene without even blinking, his hand holding popcorn stopped in the middle of the air. Fayra was in disbelief, she glanced at the screen, the same scene was going on. For a moment she felt angry at him for watching such a shameless thing? But for this moment she ignored him and looked at her left side to see if the girls were already enjoying the scene or feeling nervous just like her. And Fayra was surprised. Zunera, the naughty girl was smiling awestruck by the scene but Zinia, the sincere bookworm was sitting like a statue. Eyes fixed on the screen but she was lost somewhere in between her thoughts without knowing whatever was happening around her. Fayra again glanced at the screen it was showing The End. Holding a smile on his lips Danish stood up, Zunera also jumped out of her chair with a satisfactory blush on her cheeks but Zinia was still sitting on the same spot, eyes fixed on the screen now showing end credits, and her hand was still frozen in the popcorn tub which was half filled half empty. 

“Zinu.” Fayra whispered. 

“Aapo” Zunera shook her shoulder and she suddenly came back to reality. 

“Zinia, beta ghar me bhi comfortable chair aur AC hai waha soo jana, abhi izzat se bahar niklo warna dhakke maar ke nikali jaogi.” said Danish with a smile and teasing tone but Zinia was unable to understand anything. She stood up in a hurry eventually the popcorn tub and her purse fell down. She picked up the bag in a hurry and walked towards the exit. 

(Zinia, dear, there is a comfortable bed and AC in the home, you can sleep there. Get out with dignity now or else you will be pushed out.)

Danish and Fayra looked at each other. 

“Ise kya hua?” Danish asked and Fayra shrugged. 

(What happened to her?)

“Ye to hamesha se pagal hi hain,” Zunera commented before walking out of the hall. Danish and Fayra were unable to digest this weird behavior of the most sensible girl of this generation of Rizwi clan. 

(She has been mad ever since.)

“Ab tum to chalo,” grabbing Fayra's hand Danish walked ahead making space for himself and his wife. Fayra was silently watching her hand his hand. It was nothing new in holding hands, she used to hold his hand every time while walking in a crowded place, even in the school bus but today she felt the warmth of his skin which shivered her. Pulling her hand from his grip she wiped her palm with the jeans she was wearing. Danish looked back at her in confusion. 

(At least you move.)

“Umm… I… I'm thirsty.” She muttered without looking at him and they all walked towards the parking area. 

“Let's go home now.” Fayra demanded without looking at Danish . 

“Ab ghar hi chalenge is se zyada ghume to nomad ban jayenge.” Zunera cracked a joke which was unable to make anyone laugh. Danish, Fayra and Zinia all three were standing holding silence among them. 

(Now we will go home only, if we roam more then we will become nomads.)

“Kese log hain is khandan mein… koi hasta bhi nhi hai…” huffing on her condition Zunera gestured towards the car. Danish unlocked the door for them and looked at his hand. A few moments ago he felt the softness against his skin for the first time. He never noticed how soft Fayra's hand could be but this time everything came to his notice without even knowing. 

(These people don't even laugh at jokes. Weirdos.)

“Fayra.” Danish gestured towards the front passenger seat but Zunera, the third wheel, was the first to occupy it with a big smile. 

“Kabab mein Haddi.” Mumbling that Danish walked ahead and saw his favorite girl among three of them. Why was she looking too good today? He didn't want to take his eyes off her face but he had to. 

(The third wheel.)

“Zinia.” Fayra looked at her little sister and she hummed without any expression. 

“Tell me if there is any problem.” Fayra whispered but Zinia shook her head. 

“There is no problem.”

“Then why are you silent?” 

Zinia thought about everything for a long minute then sighed and closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. “I don't really know what the matter is. Maybe I'm overthinking. I have to study hard and become a doctor.” Zinia replied and Danish glanced at her through the rearview mirror. 

“Come on, life is not about books and degrees only. Enjoy your teenage years, you will miss these days after your mid twenties.” Said Anzala's son who himself was so sincere about his studies. 

“Why am I feeling there is something else?” Asked Fayra and Zinia smiled nervously. 

“What else could it be? Nothing.” Zinia shrugged and looked out of the window. 

The car stopped at the red light. Fayra, Danish and Zinia, all three looked at the weeping sun who was trying hard to hide his tears under the red-orange blanket. The longing sky didn't want this beloved to go away from its arms but this is the rule of nature. Where can one easily find what one likes?

Even if one gets it, there is always a fear of separation.

Just like the three young people present in this car.

Fayra loved Arsh from the core of her heart however their separation was painful. 

Danish loved Fayra secretly and this longing was killing him. 

And… Zinia, the mid teenager, who didn't know how to stop her heart to love someone who was destined to be separated. 

They three were the children of Anzala, Adnaan and Afnaan. Three who never took anything seriously but this generation of Rizwis was a little different. 

<><><>

“Cute?” He muttered. “What is the meaning of a cute gift?” The grandson of Late Arsalan Haider was scratching his head when his patience and knowledge gave up he decided to take help from Google Baba. Searching for A Cute Gift for Wife he glanced at the results and grimaced. 

“What the hell?”

Caricature, Polaroid, Customised jewellery pieces

“Are they cute? Really?” He grimaced while scrolling more. “They are Umm… useless.” Mumbling that he sighed when his eyes fell on something that attracted him a little. 

“Hmm… that's nice.” he smiled and placed an urgent order. 

<><>

It was almost midnight. 

The moon was shining at the corner of the sky, looking in a bad mood. The cluster of stars around it weren't giving him company. 

For the last half an hour she was standing in the balcony watching the scene of how stars were trying to bring the Moon around by playing a little dance with clouds. She envied the moon. The very next moment she heard footsteps coming into the room. She knew who he was, her husband. She also knew he would go to bed and sleep peacefully just like every day but tonight something was different. An arm wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. 

“Kab tak naraz rahogi?” A whisper echoed in her ear. She was about to push his hand away from her waist when an icecream cone came in front of her eyes.

(How long will you stay angry?)

“Don't be angry. We should sort out this matter.” He whispered. Somehow her anger cooled  down with the coldness of the icecream and Ashar watched a new Bisma who just grabbed the ice cream without any tantrum. 

“Love you.” He whispered and she felt his arms around her waist but instead of replying she focused on the sweet treat in her hand. “I said something.” Ashar asserted. 

“Hmm… I heard.” Unwrapping the icecream cone she muttered. 

“So you should reply with some sweet words. Shouldn't you?”

“Will think about it later… for now this icecream is melting.”

“I have one more thing for you.” He whispered and Bisma was surprised. How could this man change to this extent? Having a big bite of the already melting ice cream she furrowed and waited for her husband to draw out the gift and soon a rectangular box, wrapped in golden paper, appeared in front of her eyes.

What could it be? She thought but first focused on the ice cream present in front of her eyes. Having a big chunk she passed the remaining half molten cone in Ashar’s hand and smiled in her thoughts.

She shouldn’t show her happiness openly to make her happiness registered in front of her husband.

Giving an angry look to him she tried to recognise the thing resting in the golden paper.

A box.

Hmm… but containing what?

Umm… A chocolate box? Her eyes widened for a moment and she looked at the Smiling Ashar who was having the remaining ice cream happily.

Umm… no. This can’t be a chocolate box this is smaller and thinner than the usual box?

Then what? 

Umm… maybe a mobile phone? 

No, seems lighter than a mobile phone box.

She looked at Ashar and rolled her eyes. 

“What is this?” A rude question

“Check it yourself.” He didn't leave his smile and Bisma again looked away with the same rude expression. How could Maizah’s daughter leave her tantrums easily?

Oh okay. I understand now. It is nothing but a jewellery box.  She felt over the moon at the same time she wanted to smack her forehead to take this much time to guess such a simple thing. 

She, without bothering to leave any of her tantrums, opened the packing paper and took a few moments to trust her eyes on what she saw in her hands. After their marriage it was the very first gift given by her husband. 

Yes, literally the very first one because he slept in the guest room, just like a dog on their wedding night without bothering to notice that his newly wed wife was present in the bedroom. He was supposed to take a ten minute nap while the rituals were going on but he didn’t realise when the said time period converted into ten hours. Their wedding gift was still waiting to go to the one who deserved it. 

 Ashar smiled “Pasand aaya?” he asked and Bisma fisted her hands while her jaws tightened. 

(Liked it?)

“Asharrrrrrrrrrr… Get lost.” With a good amount of frustration she threw the more than half unpacked gift and walked out of the room but suddenly her feet stopped and she turned to see this man who was looking shocked. “You are good for nothing.” and she snatched the remaining ice cream back from his hand before walking out of the room.

But…he was unable to process this action and behaviour of his wife.

“What’s my fault this time?” he muttered after picking up the best cute gift he selected for this lady.  

 A diary! A Personal Diary with a cute outer cover, showing a lazy panda. 

Wasn’t it a cute gift?

“But it is useful too… write down your feelings whenever you get upset or angry.” he muttered while looking at the diary from every angle. “Packing pasand nhi aayi kya?” he asked himself because there was no visible fault in that gift other than this one.

(Didn’t she like the packing?)

<><><>

“Sara”

“Hmm…”

“Was our decision fine for Fayra? Or was it too quick?” Adnaan was tossing in the bed because of this question only.

“Danish is a thousand times better than what you were at the time of our marriage, if I can fall for a bandar like you then I can say Danish is the best choice for our Fayra.”

“Ye tu Danish ki tareef kar rhi hai ya meri beizzati?” turning his side he saw his wife who was half sleeping.

(Are you favouring Danish or insulting me?)

“Kuch bhi samajh lo, main to bas sach bol rahi hu.” She muttered in a sleeping state and Adnaan rolled his eyes while stepping out of the bed. 

(Consider it anyway, this is the only truth.)

“Kaha jaa rhe ho?” she asked in the same sleepy voice and didn’t open her eyes.

(Where are you going?)

“Aa rha hu abhi, soo jaa.”  and he walked out of the room without telling Sara about his destination as if she didn’t know who his mid-night mission was. Fayra. The peace of his heart and the Apple of his eyes.

(You sleep, I’m coming back in a while.)

 As soon as Adnaan stepped out of the room he noticed a shadow moving in the semi-lit corridor.

What was that? His illusion or something else?

He was not sure but there was something he was sure about…

That shadow moved towards the stairs. And stairs lead to only two rooms. One of those rooms belongs to Fayra.

Restless and anxious he walked towards the stairs with long steps and his heart forgot to pump for a moment when he noticed the figure adjusting a shawl on his shoulders while his hand held something like a.. a…  what was that? A knife. His breath hitched, the semi dark corridor allowed that mysterious figure to walk fearlessly but how could Adnaan let him do anything. The shadow moved towards Fayra’s room and Adnaan ran towards him. 

“Danish~ Danish~ come fast.” grabbing the man from behind Adnaan shouted out loud. The figure struggled to free himself by elbowing Adnaan but this middle aged man was still strong to protect his daughter from every harm. The commotion invited Fayra and she gasped loudly after watching her father struggling.